Sweden to join UK in next-generation Tempest fighter jet project

Sweden is reportedly set to join the UK in its ‘Tempest’ sixth-generation future fighter aircraft development programme.

An official announcement on the proposed entry of Sweden in the Tempest fighter jet project is anticipated to be made at the upcoming Royal International Air Tattoo (Riat) event, the Financial Times reported citing two sources.

Set to begin on 19 July, the three-day Riat military airshow will be held at RAF Fairford, UK.

The UK Government unveiled a model of the proposed Tempest jet at the Farnborough Air Show in July last year.

Tempest is positioned as a key programme aimed at maintaining the UK’s technological expertise in developing combat aircraft. The programme is pivotal to the country’s combat air strategy.

The UK Ministry of Defence is building the aircraft in partnership with consortium partners BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, MBDA and Leonardo.

Known as Team Tempest, the consortium aims to make future aircraft operational by 2035.

Tempest is expected to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft currently in service with the British Royal Air Force.

The UK Government intends to invest £2bn towards the project until 2025.

According to BAE Systems, the future combat air system will be able to operate together with a range of other civil and military platforms, services, and unmanned systems.

“Tempest is expected to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft currently in service with the British Royal Air Force.”

A number of countries have been previously linked to the Tempest programme, including Sweden, Italy, Japan and Turkey.

Collaboration with Sweden will see Saab joining the project as an industrial partner, the publication stated.

The addition of Sweden is set to boost the British fighter jet programme as Spain joined the rival Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project last month.

Proposed to be built by Airbus and Dassault Aviation, the FCAS system will involve a next-generation fighter aircraft flying in tandem with drones.

France was originally part of the multinational collaboration to build the Eurofighter Typhoon. However, the country left the partnership to develop the Rafale fighter jet.